A Food Blog with Personality

Recipe: My Ultimate Chocolate Brownies

This is not a recipe I share lightly. I’ve been making this recipe for yours, but have always kept it a closely guarded secret. You’ll understand when you make these, because they are far, far too good to share.

To me, the ultimate brownie is gooey. Not overly fudgey, but almost like a solid mousse. It needs a paper-thin crust on the top, slightly firmer sides, and a few chocolate chunks thrown in for good measure. It should be insanely chocolatey and rich, but not too sweet. It should absolutely NOT be crumbly and cakey.

And so this is my ultimate brownie. For a fudgier version, simply cook a little longer and keep in the fridge. For a cakier version, look elsewhere.

It’s insanely rich, to the point a square is a little too much, though cutting into 16 feels a little mean. It’s delicious served on it’s own, even better served with ice-cream. This particular batch were baked for a dinner party, and served with a tahini and honey ice-cream, sprinkled with crushed pistachios. Every bit as delicious as it sounds.

Trust me, if you’re a fan of a good brownie, make these. You won’t be disappointed.

Recipe (cuts into 9 or 16, depending on how generous you feel!)

185g unsalted butter

180g dark chocolate – I favour using Cadbury’s Bournville in brownies as it melts well, is a good price and I love the flavour

85g plain flour

40g cocoa powder – I use raw cacoa powder, however if you use a normal cocoa powder I would recommend reducing the sugar by 10-15g.

100g chocolate, chopped into chunks – we used more dark chocolate for these, but white chocolate works really well

3 eggs

250g golden caster sugar

Cream and line a 20cm square tin. Cut the butter into small cubes and tip into a medium bowl along with the dark chocolate. Melt slowly over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Once completely melted leave to cool to room temperature.

Break the eggs into a large bowl and add the sugar. Whisk together with an electric mixer (we used our KitchenAid) until they look thick and creamy, like a milk shake. The mix should be roughly doubled in volume. Slowly pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the eggy mix, then gently fold together with a rubber spatula until the mix is one colour – be careful not to knock too much air out of the egg mixture.

Sift over the flour and cocoa powder, and continue gently folding until you have a fudgy looking mix. Stir through the chocolate chunks, then add to the prepared tin. Bake at 160C for 25-30 minutes, or until just set (the middle of the mix should no longer wobble when you shake the tin) with a papery crust. Allow the brownies to cool completely in the tin, then lift out and cut. If you’re impatient, cutting whilst still warm will result in a gooey mess – still delicious, but not exactly presentable.

For me this is the perfect brownie – gooey and rich, in need of a spoon for be eaten. Add different types of chocolate chunks, stir in some walnuts – or even use as part of my S’more brownie recipe. You won’t be disappointed, except when you’ve finished the batch!

How do you like your chocolate brownies? What’s your go-to brownie recipe?